Favorite Children's Books of 2015 (Plus My Top 5 Old School and Historical Fiction Titles!)

It's the last day of the year, so in keeping with tradition, I'm sharing my favorite books of the year. These are all titles which were published during 2015 that I read and reviewed. Links are to my posts.

Board Books and Picture Books

Board books and picture books are favorites in our house, since we have a 2-year-old and a new baby, but we have pretty high standards. These are the ones that made the cut this year!

• Jane Foster’s ABC (Little Bee Books)
• Roar! by Julie Bayless (Running Press Kids)
• Stanley the Farmer by William Bee (Peachtree Publishers)
• See You Next Year by Andrew Larsen and Todd Stewart (Owlkids Books)
• Waiting by Kevin Henkes (Greenwillow Books)
• In a Village by the Sea by Muon Van, illustrated by April Chu (Creston Books)

Easy Readers and Beginning Chapter Books

Because I chair the Easy Reader/Early Chapter Book category of the Cybils, I read a lot of beginning reader books. There were lots of good ones this year, but these are the ones I reviewed that I enjoyed the most.

• Written and Drawn by Henrietta  by Liniers (Toon Books)
• Hoot, Owl! by Shelby Alinsky (National Geographic Children's Books)
• Cody and the Fountain of Happiness by Tricia Springstubb (Candlewick Press)
• Lost in NYC by Nadja Spiegelman, illustrated by Sergio Garcia Sanchez (Toon Books)
• Francine Poulet Meets the Ghost Raccoon by Kate DiCamillo, illustrated by Chris Van Dusen (Candlewick Press)
• Sprout Street Neighbors: Five Stories by Anna Alter (Knopf Books for Young Readers)
• Clover’s Luck by Kallie George, illustrated by Alexandra Boiger (Disney-Hyperion)
• My Family Adventure by Jacqueline Jules, illustrated by Kim Smith (Picture Window Books)

Middle Grade

I read middle grade as much for my own pleasure as I do to keep up professionally. There were plenty of disappointing reads early in 2015, but later on, I discovered some new favorites, which appear below:

• Escape from Baxters’ Barn by Rebecca Bond (HMH Books for Young Readers)
• Moonpenny Island by Tricia Springstubb (Balzer + Bray)
• Adventures with Waffles by Maria Parr (Candlewick Press)
• Cassidy’s Guide to Everyday Etiquette (and Obfuscation) by Sue Stauffacher (Knopf Books for Young Readers)
• Breaking the Ice by Gail Nall (Aladdin)
• Murder is Bad Manners by Robin Stevens (Simon & Schuster)
• Been There, Done That by Mike Winchell (Grosset & Dunlap)
• Goodbye Stranger by Rebecca Stead (Wendy Lamb Books)
• Sunny Side Up by Jennifer Holm and Matthew Holm (GRAPHIX)
• Finding the Worm by Mark Goldblatt  (Random House Books for Young Readers)

“Old School” Favorites

 

Every Sunday for years now I have been reviewing vintage kids' books. This year,  I discovered the following five old/new favorites:

• Strawberry Girl by Lois Lenski
• Thimble Summer by Elizabeth Enright
• The Rose Round by Meriol Trevor 
• The Owl Service by Alan Garner
• No Boats on Bannermere by Geoffrey Trease 

Reading Through History Favorites

In 2015, I challenged myself to read 52 historical fiction novels for kids in chronological order based on setting. The full challenge list can be found here, but the books below are titles I really loved that I can't wait to share with my own kids.

• Boy With a Pack by Stephen W. Meader
• Trumpeter of Krakow by Eric P. Kelly
• Lyddie by Katherine Paterson
• The Singing Tree by Kate Seredy 
• I, Juan de Pareja by Elizabeth Borton de Trevino

Favorite Children's and YA Books of 2014

As it is the last day of the year, it is time to share my favorite books from 2014. These are my top 25 titles for kids of all ages, sorted by level. Links are to my reviews.

Board Books & Picture Books

• Telephone by Mac Barnett, illustrated by Jen Corace
• Little Green Peas by Keith Baker
• Jack by Tomie DePaola
• Nest by Jorey Hurley
• The Girl and the Bicycle by Mark Pett
• My Lucky Little Dragon by Joyce Wan

Early Elementary (Grades Pre-K to 2)

• Jasper John Dooley Not in Love by Caroline Adderson, illustrated by Ben Clanton
• Violet Mackerel's Possible Friend by Anna Branford, illustrated by Elanna Allen
• The Lion Who Stole My Arm by Nicola Davies
• Dory Fantasmagory by Abby Hanlon
• Ten Eggs in a Nest by Marilyn Sadler, illustrated by Michael Fleming
• Inch and Roly and the Sunny Day Scare by Melissa Wiley, illustrated by Ag Jatkowska

Upper Elementary (Grades 3 to 6)

• The Year of the Fortune Cookie by Andrea Cheng, illustrated by Patrice Barton
• The Madman of Piney Woods by Christopher Paul Curtis
• Rain Reign by Ann M. Martin 
• Greenglass House by Kate Milford 
• Quinny and Hopper by Adriana Brad Schanen, illustrated by Greg Swearingen
• Justin Case: Rules, Tools, and Maybe a Bully by Rachel Vail, illustrated by Matthew Cordell 

Middle & High School (Grades 7 to 12)

• The Battle of Darcy Lane by Tara Altebrando
• Tell Me by Joan Bauer
• Top Ten Clues You’re Clueless by Liz Czukas 
• My True Love Gave To Me edited by Stephanie Perkins
• Steering Toward Normal by Rebecca Petruck
• The Summer Invitation by Charlotte Silver
• Revolution by Deborah Wiles

Secrets & Sharing Soda's Books of the Year (2013)

With the end of the year less than 24 hours away, it's time to look back on this year's reading and announce my picks for Secrets & Sharing Soda's books of the year.

In previous years, I have set specific reading goals (last year, I aimed to read 1500 books, for example), but this year I decided to give myself a break and just read, without worrying about reaching a particular number. In the end, I wound up reading 729 books that I had never read before, and an additional 210 which were repeat reads. Here is how the 729 break down by category:

• 18 books for adults (decrease of 5 from last year)
• 32 board books, 25 of which I read at story time and class visits (decrease of 47 from last year)
• 327 picture books,  220 of which I read at story time and class visits (decrease of 441 from last year)
• 59 easy readers, 17 of which I read at story time and class visits (decrease of 236 from last year)
• 74 chapter books (decrease of 46 from last year)
• 174 middle grade books (decrease of 18 from last year)
• 45 young adult books (increase of 6 from last year)

From these books, I have selected favorites in five categories based on four main factors: literary quality, kid appeal, my personal feelings about the book, and its suitability for use in library programs and book talks. (This last factor was not weighed as heavily as the others.) Each category features a top favorite and three honorable mentions, because I could never choose just one favorite book! Links will take you to my reviews, if available, or to my posts about the book in my story time blog and on Goodreads.

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Favorite Young Adult Contemporary Novel

 

Revenge of the Girl with the Great Personality

by Elizabeth Eulberg

(Scholastic)

Honorable Mention:

• Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell (St. Martin's Press)
• This Song Will Save Your Life by Leila Sales (Farrar Straus & Giroux)
• The Reece Malcolm List by Amy Spalding (Entangled Publishing)

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Favorite Middle Grade Novel

Bo at Ballard Creek

by Kirkpatrick Hill; illustrations by LeUyen Pham

(Henry Holt & Co.)

Honorable Mention:

• A Song for Bijou by Josh Farrar (Bloomsbury)
• The Golden Day by Ursula Dubosarsky (Candlewick)
• The Quirks: Welcome to Normal by Erin Soderberg (Bloomsbury)

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Favorite Chapter Book

Extra Famous

by Graham Salisbury, illustrated by Jacqueline Rogers

(Wendy Lamb Books)

Honorable Mention:

• The Year of Billy Miller by Kevin Henkes (Greenwillow Books)
• Iva Honeysuckle Meets Her Match by Candice Ransom (Disney-Hyperion)
• Starring Jules (As Herself) by Beth Ain (Scholastic)

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Favorite Easy Reader

Ling & Ting Share a Birthday

by Grace Lin 

(Little, Brown Books for Young Readers)

Honorable Mention: 

• What’s in Your Heart, Katie? by Fran Manushkin (Picture Window Books)
• Ah Ha! by Jeff Mack (Chronicle Books)
• Penny and Her Marble by Kevin Henkes (Greenwillow Books)

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Favorite Picture Book

If You Want to See a Whale
by Julie Fogliano, illustrated by Erin E. Stead

(Roaring Brook Press)

Honorable Mention: 

• Building Our House by Jonathan Bean (Farrar Straus & Giroux)
• Ol’ Mama Squirrel by David Ezra Stein (Nancy Paulsen Books)
• Dream Friends by You Byun (Nancy Paulsen Books)

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Thank you so much for following Secrets & Sharing Soda through its third year! I look forward to starting year four tomorrow. In the meantime, take a look back at my favorite books of 2011 and my favorite books of 2012. Happy New Year!

Secrets & Sharing Soda's Books of the Year (2012)

It's the last day of 2012, so it's time to tally up the books I've read and choose my favorites.

First, the stats:

I read 1516 books this year (16 more than my goal, and 500 more than last year). They break down as follows:

• 23 books for adults (increase of 10 since last year)
• 79 board books, 14 of which I read at story time and class visits (increase of 39 since last year)
• 768 picture books, 300 of which I read at story time and class visits, and 256 of which I read for the Caldecott Challenge (increase of 228 since last year)
• 295 easy readers, 17 of which I read at story times and class visits, and 29 of which I read in my role as a Cybils panelist (increase of 168 since last year)
• 120 chapter books, 45 of which I read in my role as a Cybils panelist (increase of 13 since last year)
• 192 middle grade books (increase of 51 since last year)
• 39 young adult books (decrease of 9 since last year)

From these books, I have selected my favorites in the categories and genres that I regularly review. My criteria for selecting these books were: literary quality, kid appeal, personal enjoyment of the book, and potential use in story time/library programs. Titles link to my reviews.

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Favorite Young Adult Contemporary Novel 

Since You Left Me
by Allen Zadoff  

(Egmont USA)

Honorable Mention:
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green (Dutton Books - Penguin Group)
Love and Other Perishable Items by Laura Buzo (Knopf Books for Young Readers - Random House)
Nothing Special by Geoff Herbach (Sourcebooks Fire)

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Favorite Middle Grade Novel 

Flying the Dragon

by Natalie Dias Lorenzi

(Charlesbridge) 

Honorable Mention: 

The Boy on Cinnamon Street by Phoebe Stone (Arthur A. Levine Books- Scholastic)
Ruby Redfort: Look into My Eyes by Lauren Child ( HarperCollins Children's Books)
About Average by Andrew Clements (Atheneum Books for Young Readers- Simon & Schuster)

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Favorite Chapter Book

Stella Batts: Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow
by Courtney Sheinmel, illustrated by Jennifer A. Bell
(Sleeping Bear Press) 

Honorable Mention: 

Hooey Higgins and the Shark by Steve Voake (Candlewick Press)
Ivy and Bean Make the Rules by Annie Barrows (Chronicle Books)
Calvin Coconut: Rocket Ride by Graham Salisbury (Wendy Lamb Books - Random House)

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Favorite Easy Reader 

Frog and Fly

by Jeff Mack
(Philomel Books - Penguin Group)

Honorable Mention: 

Bink and Gollie: Two for One by Kate DiCamillo and Alison McGhee, illustrated by Tony Fucile (Candlewick Press)
Penny and her Doll by Kevin Henkes (Greenwillow Books - Harper Collins)

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Favorite Picture Book

Otto the Book Bear

by Katie Cleminson

(Disney-Hyperion)

Honorable Mention:
Extra Yarn by Mac Barnett, illustrated by Jon Klassen (Balzer + Bray- Harper Collins)
Faster! Faster! by Leslie Patricelli (Candlewick Press)
Lemonade in Winter by Emily Jenkins, illustrated by G. Brian Karas  (Schwartz & Wade  - Random House)

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Favorite Book in Graphic Format

Secret Diary
by Julien Neel

(Lerner Publishing Group)

Honorable Mention:
Her Permanent Record by Jimmy Gownley (Atheneum Books for Young Readers- Simon & Schuster)

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What were your favorite books of 2012? Did you nominate them for Cybils? Tomorrow, find out the names of the finalists in each category over on the Cybils blog.